UK PM to be quizzed over phone-hacking scandal

Prime Minister David Cameron will be grilled by Parliament today about a raging phone-hacking scandal linked to Rupert Murdoch's media empire here that has rocked the British establishment.

Cameron cut short his visit to Africa on Tuesday to join parliamentarians in debating the phone-hacking issue and answer lawmakers' scrutiny over his links to Murdoch's media empire in a special session of House of Commons.

The scandal has forced the resignations of senior executives at News Corp and two of Britain's top policemen as well as fuelling opposition attacks on Cameron.

Rupert Murdoch, his son James, former aide Rebekah Brooks and senior police officers faced lawmakers on the issue yesterday in an extraordinary series of Commons committee hearings.

During the tense hearing, Murdoch and his son James apologised for the phone hacking, a scandal which has engulfed their media empire and rocked police and politicians to the core, and told lawmakers that "these actions do not live up to the standards our company aspires to."

Cameron was criticised for employing Andy Coulson, a former editor of Murdoch's 'News of the World' tabloid,  now shut down over the scandal.

Aides have indicated that he expects to be questioned by MPs on the admission last night that his former media chief Coulson had received "informal advice" before elections last year from Neil Wallis, a key suspect in the hacking row, the Mirror reported.

Both men have been arrested and bailed in connection with the Scotland Yard hacking inquiry.